INVERNESS, Fla. — A grandmother and her family are safe after her stovetop caught fire Friday night, according to a Citrus County Fire Rescue news release.
Officials said the woman called 911 at around 9 p.m. Friday in her home on East Swift Court in Inverness after her stovetop caught fire. She told officials she accidentally turned on the wrong burner.
Authorities from several emergency agencies, including those in Hernando, Highlands and Kensington, responded to the house fire. They were met with smoke billowing from the front doorway, the release said.
Two firefighters forced their way into the house from the side door after others surveyed it for safe entry.
Officials said the woman evacuated everyone out of the house, including her granddaughter who celebrated her birthday the day before. She then called 911.
Crews located the fire in the kitchen and quickly gained control of the flames within the hour, the release said. Firefighters from Kensington searched the house again and found no one else in any of the rooms.
The woman’s granddaughter retrieved her belongings from her room, including her dolls, after the fire, authorities said. A representative from 1-800-Board-Up arrived to assist the family with the damage.
During an investigation, officials reported about $53,000 of damage to the stovetop, kitchen cabinets and attic space. They reported no toxic levels of gas and no damage to the home’s power system.
“This incident underscores the importance of regularly maintaining smoke alarms to ensure they are in working order, as they can save lives in the event of a fire,” the release said.
No one was hurt.
